Same, but different
by VaultBoyWonder
Summary: This is the story of Julien, a human who jumped into a chasm in Mt. Ebott to die. When he finds that he's alive in The Underground, will he find the will to live and leave for The Surface, or succumb to his desire to die? (Essentially, a suicidal teen replaces Frisk. Possible Triggers, maybe a spoiler or two, mild language. This will deviate from the in-game story.)
1. Chapter 1

_Hey, so I'm somewhat new to the Undertale fandom, but I've fallen in love with it. So, I thought I'd put this out. New series for me to write, new people to judge my writing. All kinds of fun. Anyway, feel free to review and stuff. I own nothing but my OC. Everything else belongs to Tobyfox_

I stared into the inky black chasm, regretting the things I've done to justify my plans. If I hadn't done it, maybe I'd think against what I wanted to do. I know no one would miss me, that no one would even notice if I simply disappeared. It hurt to think about, but living with the people who hate the fact that I even exist hurts worse than anything. Finally, I worked up the nerve, and jumped into the abyss. The adrenaline from the fall made my stomach rise in my body before the world came to darkness and my mind faded into the void.

' _ **Human...you are a strange one. You're exactly like the sociopath that fell, but, at the same time, completely different. How puzzling. Human...you live for a reason. Before I go, I must give you advice. Do NOT trust the talking flower. He's not how he seems. Now..WAKE UP!'**_

My eyes snapped open as I bolted upright. I looked under me, and saw that I saw sitting in a flower bed. I felt my eyes welling up when I realized that the flowers had broken my fall.

"N-No...No!" I screamed, pounding the stone floor with my fist in frustration. "I can't even kill myself...damn, I'm pathetic."

I stood and saw that the chasm dropped into a cave that led deeper into Mount Ebott. ' _Maybe I'll get lucky and some unspeakable horror can do me in.'_

I thought as I went deeper into the cave. Surprisingly, grass and more golden flowers were growing along what seemed to be a path. I was stopped when I came across a golden flower that was strayed from the rest, isolated under what looked like a natural spotlight.

"Howdy! I'm Flowey! Flowey the Flower!" it cheered, seeming almost eerily cheerful.

"Holy hell, what are you!?" I blurted out.

"Aw, c'mon, friend. Don't be rude. I get that you're new here, so I guess someone oughta show you the ropes. Golly, I guess little old me will have to do." Flowey cheered, his large grin unwavering.

"Look, I appreciate the effort, and I'm sorry for being rude, but I have to-"

"Look, friend. I'm just eager to help you out. Just remember this: Love is what makes The Underground a lovely place. And LOVE is exchanged through little...eh…'Friendliness Pellets.'"

As he explained this, white pellets rose from him and slowly drifted toward me.

"Try to catch as many as you can!" He cheered.

As the pellets drew near, I heard the voice from before. ' _ **Move'**_

As instructed, I dodged the slow drift of white pellets. Once they dissipated on the ground behind me, Flowey's cheerful smile distorted into an annoyed scowl.

"C'mon friend. Just get the pellets." Flowey said, the cheer in his voice carrying an assertive sort of impact with it.

After dodging wave after wave, Flowey's friendly grin deformed into an evil smile. His voice became a sort of cackle.

"You know what's going on here, don't you? You see it. That, down here, it's kill or be killed. Now...die!"

Flowey cackled as the lazily drifting white pellets began spinning rapidly around me, trapping me in a ring of bullets. I saw the ring get smaller, and saw what would happen. I saw that I was going to die. I fell to my knees and accepted it, eager to see my mission of dying complete. However, a loud screech stopped everything.

I opened my eyes and saw that Flowey had vanished, and that only a large scorch mark was left in its place. I felt a mix of relief and pain in my chest. ' _Why can't I die.'_ I looked up, and saw my savior smiling warmly down at me.

"Don't worry, my child. That evil creature is gone. He will not hurt you again." She said, her tone akin to that of a mother comforting her young child. "My name is Toriel, and I live in these Ruins. Come with me, my child. You'll be safe."

She held out her hand for me to take, but I was hesitant. I wasn't sure if Flowey was being honest about what he said.

' _ **Trust her, human. She's kind, unlike the flower.'**_

Seeing no other option, I took her hand, and allowed her to guide me into The Ruins.

 _I hope you guys enjoyed that. I'll continue if you guys do. Tell me if I sucked or not. Bye!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello. everyone. I'm actually somewhat surprised with how this is turning out. never thought this'd take off at all, but I'm glad I was wrong on that. Anyway, next chapter. Everything is owned by Toby Fox_

I sat in the vacant spare room, staring blankly in the mirror at the disheveled mess that was my reflection. My emerald-colored eyes were surrounded by black rings, standing out from the rest of my dirty pale flesh. My dark hair was somewhat normal, which was still just a semi-long mess. If I cared much about how I looked, maybe I'd do something to fix it. Unfortunately, the only thing I cared about was carrying out what I failed to do, to finally die and end my own suffering.

The knock on the bedroom door pulled me from my thoughts. ' _It must be Toriel, wanting to know if I want any more butterscotch-cinnamon pie.'_ I thought. While I was thankful for Toriel's kindness, I wished she hadn't found me in the first place. True, given that she searches The Ruins on a daily basis to find humans who had survived the fall, there wouldn't be much of a chance of not being saved. She seemed to really care, which hurt me more when I thought of the people on The Surface who'd shown me such kindness, before they found out what I had done.

The memory is vague, but at the same time, clear as day. I remember killing a man, out of self defense or just because I could, I couldn't remember. What I do remember was what drove me to this, to my craving for an ending to it all. Maybe death is the only way to cure my pain, my depression, my sickness. Maybe it isn't the only way. Either way, it feels like it's the easiest way.

"My child, are you awake?" Toriel asked softly, the door muffling her question slightly.

I opened the door and looked up at Toriel, as she was only slightly taller than me.

"My child, is something wrong? You look upset by something."

I felt the urge to ask her where she kept her knives, but the voice stopped me, saying that it wouldn't be right to ask.

' _ **Repeat after me, Julien…'**_

"May I please leave The Ruins? I would like to go home." I repeated the voice's dialogue, hiding the fact that it was having me lie.

Toriel looked surprised. "This is your home now, Child. don't be silly."

' _ **Don't stop pressing on. Insist you want to leave these ruins. You must, if you wish for your goal to come to fruition.'**_

"Toriel, I appreciate what you've done for me, but I must leave. My home is on the surface." I insisted, following the voice's instruction.

Frustrated, Toriel took my hand and borderline dragged me to the basement. After being pulled down a hall or two, Toriel let go, causing me to fall. I look up to see a door that the gpat woman was blocking.

"All wanted to do was protect you, my child. I understand that you wish to return to the human world, but I also know the great dangers you will face in The Underground. You must be strong in order to survive. Prove to me that you are strong, Julien. You must kill me." Toriel said, the fireballs she used on Flowey crackling in her hands.

I could feel tears well up in my eyes as her words hit me like a bullet. She _wanted_ me to kill her, to prove that I'm strong.

"Toriel, I don't want to fight you. I don't want to hurt you." I sobbed. "I don't want to kill anyone else!"

Toriel's face remained cold and unrelenting as she sent a dizzying barrage of fire. I ducked and weaved, only to be struck in the center of my chest. The force was enough to knock me to the ground as I choked out a cry.

"I'm sorry, sweet child! I wish I didn't have to do this. But if you cannot kill me, then you have no chance of defeating Asgore or leaving The Underground. I hope you understand, my child." Toriel explained grimly, unable to look up from the floor.

"T-Then do it...Toriel...I lied to you. I don't want to g-go back to the surface...the Surface is the reason I came down here...I thought I wouldn't survive the fall…" I gasped, barely able to speak from the burning sensation the fireball left.

"You….You don't fear death, Julien?" Toriel asked, sounding worried.

I stood, but only just avoiding falling back down, and held my arms to my sides.

"Kill me, Toriel...end my...suffering..." was all I could force out before the shock took me into the dark unconscious abyss.

 _Feel free to tell me if I suck at this or not. I'm honestly having fun with this. So, review or whatever as you please._


	3. Chapter 3

_Yes, I know this is short, and that I'm posting this update pretty soon, but I don't really have an updating schedule. I post when I feel the need to. It's more that I'm paranoid that I'll forget to post after a while. Anyway, feel free to review and even PM me, if you want. I read everything. Anyway, story. everything belongs to Toby Fox._

I bolted upright to find that I had woken up in a bed. The bed in Toriel's spare room. I looked down at my chest and saw that my shirt was missing,

 _ineit_ and that my chest was bandaged.

' _ **I expected her to do this. She's kind, but she's also very protective. While I hope you understand she's taking your safety to heart, she won't let you die if she has a say in it.'**_

"She...healed me...kept me safe and alive." I muttered, wincing as I ran my hand over the bandages, only to feel the sting of the burn.

"I certainly did what I could, my child." she answered, almost inaudibly. I jumped and saw her in a chair in the shadow of the room, looking heartbroken.

"What you said...about not wanting to kill again. Have you killed before?" Toriel asked, her soothing voice slightly raspy from what I could only assume was crying.

"Yes...I can't really remember why I did it or who I killed, but I do remember the feeling it brought me. I felt as if I couldn't breathe. I knew that there's no way I can live with that pain, the pain of knowing I took a life."

I felt Toriel embrace me and warm tears streak down my face. Talking about it hurt almost worse than remembering it. ' _I couldn't handle taking another life, other than my own.'_

"I'm glad to hear that you feel remorse. I can't say that there are many others I could say the same for, my child. However, to know that you wish to take your own life is troubling. I will allow you to leave these ruins once you've recovered, but you must promise to stay alive. At least, until you leave The Underground."

Something similar to yes was all that I could muster. It hurt to think that she wanted to protect someone like me, even after knowing the truth.

' _Why is she being so nice? She's treating a killer as she would her own child. Why?'_

' _ **She is able to see that there is good in you. While you have killed in the past, you show regret for it now. You are a good person, human. Just remember that as you proceed.'**_

It wasn't too long after the fight that the burn healed. Toriel guided me back down to the basement and to the door into The Underground. While she was smiling, the tears were obvious in Toriel's eyes. ' _Like a mother saying goodbye to her child'_ I opened the somewhat heavy door and felt a cold blast of air hit me as it shut behind me.

' _ **Glad Toriel had a spare sweater?'**_

"Look, I don't need you being snarky with me." I sighed.

' _ **I'm just saying...wait, did you hear that?'**_

I was about to tell the voice off when I heard a twig snap behind me. Thinking it was just my imagination, I continued forward, only to find a bridge with a large wooden gate over it. I backed away, wondering what or who could've put it there, when I felt myself back into something.

"Hey, pal. How are ya?" a deep voice asked, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stick up.

"L-Look, I don't want any trouble." I muttered.

"I could say the same to you. How about you turn around, and give me a good handshake?" The deep voice offered.


	4. Chapter 4

_Got bored, so I decided to put out the next chapter. Yes, they're getting shorter. Yes, the time skips might be annoying. but I'm not gonna have entire chapters dedicated to just walking and random enemy encounters. I promise, I'll try to get better with this. Anyway, enjoy._

I couldn't help but crack a smile when a loud flatulent noise killed the tense silence. The figure, once he stepped into the light, was a skeleton. He came up to my waist in height, and had a large smile plastered on his face. He was dressed in a heavy looking dark blue jacket and black shorts. In his hand was a whoopie cushion.

"Nothing beats the old 'whoopie-cushion-in-the-hand' trick. Anyway, sorry if I scared ya. I'm Sans. Sans the skeleton." The short skeleton chuckled.

"Julien. Nice to meet you, Sans." I replied, relieved that I wasn't getting attacked.

"So, I bet you're wondering how you'd get past this here gate. Don't worry about it. My brother, Papyrus, set this thing up. Just walk through. He made the gaps big enough for anyone to get through."

Before I could do anything, Sans took my hand and guided me over the bridge and through one of the massive gaps in the gate.

"See? Easy as that. You probably should steer clear of my brother, though. He's always hunting for humans. Lucky for you, he couldn't hurt a fly."

I followed Sans until we reached a sort of sentry position. The post was barren, with the exception of one sentry station, and an oddly shaped lamp, for some reason. Sans stopped me when a high voice broke through the near silence.

"BROTHER!"

"Oh no...quick, hide behind that conveniently shaped lamp." Sans suggested.

I quickly ran and stood behind the lamp that, oddly enough, shielded me from sight. From the path across from where Sans and I came in came a lanky skeleton, possibly Papyrus. He looked as if he was stretched out, given his height. He wore shining armor that protected his torso, and a red scarf that blew in the frigid wind.

"Sans! Are you seriously on break again!? Have you gotten anything done today?!" The taller skeleton screamed.

"Chill, Papyrus. I've gotten a ton of work done. A skele-ton."

I heard the Voice try to hold back laughter as I hid.

"Sans! This is no time for jokes! I must find a human, and bring it to the capital. Then, Undyne will _have_ to let me into the Royal Guard. Then, I'll finally be popular!" Papyrus scolded, his annoyed tone turning into a dreamy one.

"Wow, you must be working yourself...down to the bone." Sans cracked in response.

' _ **Good one, Sans. Good one.'**_

' _Will you shut up just a bit longer?'_

"Sans!" Papyrus shouted.

"Aww, c'mon bro. You're smiling." Sans pointed out.

"I know, and I hate it! I'll just go recalibrate my puzzles!" Papyrus declared, storming away. "And about your work, Sans. Try putting some more...backbone into it! Nyehehehe!"

Once Papyrus left, Sans queued for me to come out.

"So...yeah. That was my brother. Might wanna watch out for him. He won't hurt ya, but it'd be best if you avoided him. I gotta stay here, so Papyrus doesn't come back. Feel free to go on. There's a little town. Snowdin, not far from here. Just follow the path, and you'll be there in no time.


	5. Chapter 5

_So I thought I'd post a new chapter. I own nothing, enjoy!_

"So, what's your deal with Sans?" I asked, desperate for some refuge from the boredom of walking in silence.

' _ **What do you mean, Julien?"**_

"You seemed to kinda like him. Please tell me this isn't one of those Freudian slip things, because I doubt I could stand bad skeleton puns for so long."

" _ **That's because you don't have any comical taste, Julien. And just because I'm in your head doesn't mean that I'm your conscience."**_

"Then what are you? Some kind of ghost, like that Napstablook guy?" I ask.

" _ **I suppose I am, in a way. I used to know Sans. Back then...wait, do you see that?"**_

"Don't change the damn subject, you...aww hell…"

Not too far away was Sans, smiling and talking to Papyrus. I felt my heart stop for a second when the two turned to face me.

"Hey, bro. You see that?" Sans asked, gesturing to me.

"I see...a rock. Sans, why must you waste my time like-"

"But what's that standing behind the rock?" Sans asked again, causing Papyrus so develop a large, giddy grin.

Papyrus turned to look at me again, then turned back to Sans with a huge, giddy grin.

"Oh my god, a human!" The taller skeleton cried, almost bouncing with joy, "Human, you are being captured by I, The Great Papyrus! Before I take you to The Capital, you must make it through our deviously designed puzzles!"

Papyrus ran out of sight into the snow, and Sans waited for me to speak with him.

"Now, before you get mad, I didn't rat you out. Second, you gotta admit, it's nice to see him so excited. I know you can make it through his puzzles, trust me on that. So, if I were you, I'd hop to it."

[A short walk through the snow later]

I could only stare when I saw the two skeletons again, conversing on the other side of a dark square-shaped indention in the snow. Papyrus noticed me first and, ironically, coughed to clear his throat.

"Human! Welcome to my first puzzle, The Electric Maze. Make your way through, but one wrong step will result in a rather...shocking reaction!"

I took one step in the indention, and saw Papyrus grit his teeth a little in frustration.

"How can this be? With this orb, not following the path should result in-"

Papyrus's rant was cut short when he stepped into the indention with some strange black orb, and a powerful electric shock caused him to shake violently before falling on his back in the snow.

"Um...Papyrus. I think the human should be the one with the orb." Sans suggested.

"I see your point, Sans." Papyrus agreed before jumping back to his feet. Slowly, he walked through the maze, unwittingly showing me the proper path. When he got to my side, he pushed me out of the indention and put the orb in my arms. "Hold this, please."

Trying not to laugh, I followed the path Papyrus took to deliver the orb to me.

"Human, you are a genius! I never thought you'd get through that puzzle!"

' _He can't be serious. Please tell me he's being sarcastic'_

" _ **No, I'm afraid not."**_

"Well, you'll never get past my next puzzle!" Papyrus shouted, sprinting off to the next puzzle.

"Told ya, kid. Just humor Papyrus, okay? He 's loving this." Sans said before following his brother.

The next puzzle actually had me intimidated. It was a bridge, covered in tons of brightly colored tiles. Just the random colors were enough to make me dizzy. The height from whatever ground was under it was covered by inky darkness. On the other side was Papyrus with a large lever.

"Human, I am very confidant in my prediction that you won't make it past this this puzzle. It was created by Doctor Alphys, and even I don't know exactly how it works! What I do know is that you won't make it past! You see, only the green tiles are safe to walk on. Red ones are impossible to walk on, Purple tiles have you fight a monster, and the other tiles, I' not even sure what they do. I just know that you don't stand a chance!"

Papyrus pulled the lever, and the tiled began randomly flashing a multitude of colors. When they stopped, there was an awkward silence. The bridge had a straight line of green tiles, with red tiles lining the edges.

" _ **Well, that was easy."**_

In silence, Papyrus ran off, likely to start the next puzzle. I followed, only to see Sans and Papyrus waiting on the other side of another shallow indention in the snow. In the center was a book.

"You may have outsmarted Alphys and I, but you will never be able to get past this puzzle, for it was designed by my brother, Sans!"

I cautiously walked into the center and picked up the book. I couldn't keep from laughing.

"A crossword puzzle? Really, Sans?" I joked, causing the shorter skeleton to shrug.

"What?! A crossword!? Sans, you lazybones! Why did you give the human such an easy puzzle!? Everyone knows the Word Jumble is much harder than any silly crossword puzzle!" Papyrus proudly declared.

"You mean that easy puzzle they have at Grillby's for little kids?" Sans asked jokingly.

"Human, settle this debate! Do you find the Crossword or the Word Jumble more challenging?"

" _ **Remember, humor him."**_

"The Word Jumble is definitely harder, no contest." I replied, causing Papyrus to smile triumphantly.

"Thank you, Human. At least someone is normal around here!" Papyrus loudly thanked before running off again.

"Hey, thanks for agreeing with Papyrus on that. I can tell he appreciates it. Anyway, Snowdin isn't too far from here. In fact, it's where Papyrus just ran off to. Just get there and get past him, and it'll be smooth sailing from then on to New Home." Sans reassured, patting me on the back the best he could before going to join Papyrus.

 _I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter, and I'm sorry if I butchered anything. Feel free to review or whatever. Oh, and let me know if you want me to do some Q &A thing. I know some writers do that, so I might as well ask. _


	6. Chapter 6

_Ok, this took me an_ _absurdly_ _long time to write, but I know I had to update this sometime. I have a feeling you'll love the next chapter. Toby owns everything, excluding my OC._

Snowdin was, for an underground town, rather cute. Even with it being inside a mountain, a thick blanket of snow covered the ground. All around were monsters, young and old, big and small, bustling about. It looked something like Christmas, complete with a large decorated tree in the middle of a snowy pavilion. It was a little heartwarming, to say the least.

' _ **It's all kinda cute, when you think about it.'**_

' _Yeah, I guess so. Still, Papyrus is around here somewhere. We have to look out for him.'_

After what felt like decades exploring the little monster town, I finally found the path that looked like a path out of Snowdin, with it, Papyrus. There was no way I could get around the lanky skeleton.

"Human. Allow me to tell you about some complex feelings. Feelings like...the joy of finding another pasta lover. The admiration for another's puzzle-solving skills. The desire to have a smart, cool person think you're cool. These feelings...they must be what you're feeling right now! I can hardly imagine what it must be like to feel that way. After all, I am very great."

' _ **And incredibly humble.'**_ The Voice said sarcastically.

"I don't ever wonder what having lots of friends feels like. I pity you, lonely human. But worry not! You will be lonely no longer! I, the Great Papyrus, shall be your...no...no, this is all wrong. I can't be your friend. You're a human. I must capture you. Then, I can fulfill my lifelong dream. Powerful, Popular, Prestigious. That's Papyrus, the newest member of the royal guard!

With that, Papyrus got into a fighting stance. With a wave of his hand, bones popped out of the snow and moved toward me, single file. Despite that, all it took to avoid the attack was simply stepping over the oncoming bones.

"Papyrus, we don't have to fight."

"Well, if you don't want to...that just makes this easier for me! Now, prepare for my fabled 'Blue Attack.'"

With that, what looked like a tidal wave of blue bones rushed over the snow. I could only stare, paralyzed by what looked like a guaranteed killing move. I stood, waiting for the wave to kill me, until I felt a slight chill. I opened my eyes, and I was fine. Papyrus looked worried.

"So you knew my Blue Attack's one weakness! Well, curses! Wait, I have an idea!"

With another wave, I felt myself grow a little heavier.

"Now you're blue!" Papyrus shouted before sending another wave of bones. It was hard to jump over the hurdles, but I managed.

"That's it, human! You're too cunning for my normal attacks. Now, for my ultimate attack!"

I couldn't help but laugh when I saw what was his attack. A large bone was uncovered by the wind, but munching on the bone was a white dog.

"What the heck? Hey, you stupid dog. Let go of my special attack!"

Silently, the dog dragged the bone off into the storm, causing Papyrus to release an annoyed sigh.

' _ **I have an idea. Just to distract him.'**_

"Hey, Papyrus. You're attacks are really cool!" I shouted.

' _Why the hell are you making me say this? It's embarrassing.'_

' _ **Trust me.'**_

Papyrus looked at me, apparently flustered.

"Y-You really think so? I mean, why would I accept your flirting. I'm a skeleton with high standards!"

' _ **Tell him you can make Spaghetti.'**_

"I can make Spaghetti." I responded, hoping The Voice wasn't messing with me.

"Oh no. You meet all of my standards!" Papyrus shouted.

At that moment, Papyrus gave up his assault.

"Human...I'm giving you one chance...to accept the pity of the Great Papyrus. I'm choosing to spare you, not only because I'm merciful, but because I wish to go on a date with you."

' _Seriously? He can't be serious.'_

"I accept your mercy, Papyrus. As well as the date." I said.

The lanky skeleton looked as if he would explode from giddiness.

"Wowie...I didn't expect you to accept...well, human...I give you permission to pass through. I'll be at my house back in Snowdin, when you want to start the date."

With that, the tall skeleton leaped over me and ran back to Snowdin.

"At least that's over with."

' _ **Oh no, you're going on that date with him. You have to.'**_

' _Why should I?'_

' _ **Who's the god-like voice here?'**_


	7. Chapter 7

_I'm sure anyone who loves this part of Undertale will be coming after me with pitchforks and torches with how bad I butchered this, but I'm posting it anyway. Enjoy. Toby Fox owns all of this, except my OC._

' _I still can't believe you're making me do this.'_ I thought, begrudgingly making my way back into Snowdin.

' _ **I wouldn't make you do it if I knew there was no point. Besides, Papyrus seems to really like you. Maybe…'**_ The Voice snickered.

' _Nonononononono, That's definitely not what's gonna happen! I mean, I like him. He's goofy and strange, which is likeable. I just don't want to date the bonehead.'_

I heard The Voice snicker again. ' _Shut up.'_

"Human! Are you ready to commence the date?" Papyrus asked gleefully.

"Sure, Papyrus. Let's do it." I replied.

"Great! I'm going to take us someplace special. A place where I like to spend a lot of my time."

Papyrus took me by the wrist and walked me deeper into Snowdin, only to immediately turn around and walk back to the cabin he was standing in front of.

"My house." He announced before opening the front door for me.

I wasn't quite sure what I expected to see, but I was sure it wasn't as good as what I saw. The place was cozy and felt like a home away from home, so to speak. The warm air almost commanded a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere from the cabin.

"Well, this is my house." Papyrus explained as he closed the door, "Feel free to look around before we start our date."

The first thing that I found strange was a rock on a plate, covered with sprinkles.

"Oh, that's my brother's pet rock! He always forgets to feed it...but I pick up his slack."

It took every fiber of self control I had to keep from laughing.

"I imagine it's taxing." I say, containing a chuckle.

"Like you wouldn't believe."

I roamed the room when I accidentally stepped on a television remote. The sound of the TV suddenly turning on made me jump.

"My apologies, Human. The remote always seems to find itself wherever it likes. Hey, this is my favorite show."

It felt heartwarming, watching Papyrus watch the MTT Standby Screen, especially with the enthusiasm I doubt I'd ever see from anyone on the surface.

"Gah! It's usually better than this. It's just a bad episode."

With that, Papyrus turned off the television and looked as if he'd just gotten a brilliant idea.

"Human, follow me into the kitchen!" Papyrus shouted, dragging me as he sprinted into the kitchen.

"This, Human, is where the Great Papyrus prepares the mightiest of meals. Feel free to visit my Food Museum." He cheered, gesturing to the refrigerator.

I opened the door and saw plenty of plastic tubs, all labelled Spaghetti. Aside from them, the only thing in the icebox was an empty bag of chips.

' _I'm gonna guess that belongs to Sans.'_

"Impressed by my Food Museum? Nothing can be made better than the Spaghetti of The Great Papyrus!"

With that, Papyrus looked at the floor with a pensive expression, then a bright one of revelation.

"Human, we must go to my room, now!" The skeleton cheered before once again grabbing my wrist and dragging me upstairs.

' _I do not like where this is going.'_

' _ **You, my friend, have a dirty mind.'**_

Sure enough, Papyrus closed the door behind us once we got in.

"Human, now we should probably do what people usually do on dates."

' _This can't be happening'_ I thought, a flustered heat spreading across my face.

"I've never actually been on a date before...do not worry, human! For I managed to grab this dating rule book from the library." The Skeleton cheered, pulling a small paperback book from his scarf.

' _Thank God.'_ I thought, letting out a relieved sigh.

"Date Start!" Papyrus exclaimed.

I stood silent, snickering as Papyrus closely read the manual.

"Step one: Ask the other out on a date," Papyrus muttered before closing the book dramatically, using his thumb to keep his place, "Human, would you like to go on a date with me, The Great Papyrus!?"

I nodded with a small smile, causing Papyrus to get flustered.

"R-Really? Ok, now on to Step Two: Wear nice clothes to show you care…"

Suddenly, Papyrus stripped himself of his "Battle Body." I looked away, honestly afraid of what I'd probably see underneath the metal.

"Human, do you not like my Date Clothes?"

I looked, and couldn't keep from chuckling. Papyrus was wearing a shirt that had _Cool Dude_ written across the chest, basketball shorts, and even a snapback cap.

"I always where my Date Clothes under my normal clothes, in case I'm ever asked out on a date. Say, you're wearing clothes right now...and earlier, you were also wearing clothing! Could it be...you've wanted to date me from the very beginning? Wowie...you must really like me."

A few moments of silence passed until Papyrus pulled out something...relatively unexpected.

"Behold, my finest creation. Spaghetti, marinated in an oaken cask, and prepared by me, The Master Chef Papyrus."

I took one bite, and my face scrunched up from the taste. It certainly tasted...interesting.

"That expression...you...you must really like me cooking...Human...I have something I have to say."

' _This should be good.'_

"I, The Great Papyrus, do not love you the same way you love me. I cannot match your passion. But, do not worry. I'm sure you'll find someone better than me...actually, I don't think that's possible...but I'll help you settle for second best. Remember, you can always do better, even if you don't think so. Hey, here's my number. Call me at any time...platonically.

After entering his number into my cell phone, I felt his words tug at my heartstrings.

' _I can do better...even if I don't think so. Maybe you're not so bad after all, Papyrus.'_

(?)

I watched him walk out into the snow, out onto the path Papyrus had blocked.

' _You can't fool me. You'll never change.'_


	8. Chapter 8

_Kind of a short chapter, but I just wanted to update this. Toby Fox owns pretty much everything. Enjoy._

' _ **We should stop here to rest. You've been through absolute hell today.'**_

' _You don't say'_

I stopped and sat by a little pool with a small, yet roaring waterfall on the opposite side. Nearby was what looked like one of the Royal Guard's Sentry stations, if what I saw on the way to Snowdin was any indication. I popped one of the Monster Candies I picked up in the Ruins in my mouth and laid back against the cold cavern wall.

' _ **Enjoying yourself?'**_

"Yeah. Finally, I get to relax. No crazy monster fights to disturb me, and no weird dating scenes. Just me and my thoughts." I replied aloud.

The silence and the soothing waterfall were all it took to put me to sleep.

I couldn't make anything out through the dim lights. What I could make out made me nervous. I was standing in a room, one that reminded me of a throne room I'd seen in a history book. A distorted voice began speaking.

"We don't need to fight. We can settle this over a nice cup of tea."

Only a distorted scream and the sound of someone being stabbed echoed, causing me to snap awake in a cold sweat.

I looked up, and saw something looming above me.

"Kind of a weird place to take a nap." He said as I stood. What I thought loomed over me was now only tall enough for the top of his head to reach just below my beltline. He didn't have arms, which alarmed me at first. Then I saw his little smile and a bright look in his eye.

"Hey, what are you doing out here?" I asked, still groggy from the nap.

"I heard Undyne the Undying was coming out here to hunt a Human!" He cheered, bouncing with excitement.

' _ **Undyne the Undying...we're in trouble. She won't stop hunting you until you're brought to New Home, or killed.'**_

"Just what I need. Someone else that wants to kill me." I sighed, luckily quiet enough for the monster kid to ignore it.

"Yo, maybe we can find her, so we can see her beat up the human!" The Monster Kid cheered before sprinting deeper into the cavern, tripping and recovering before vanishing from sight.

"Remind me not to fall asleep in caverns every again."

' _ **Noted.'**_

"Who ya talkin' to, kid?" A familiar voice asked. I turned to the sentry station to see Sans, standing in the Sentry with his usual goofy smile.

"Nobody, bonehead." I chuckled, walking up to the Sentry.

"Good one, kid. Anyways, how about I take ya somewhere. I gotta chat with ya about something, and you look a little hungry. Say, how about we go to Grillby's. Y'know, that food joint back in Snowdin?"

"Must've missed it. Sure, I could go for a bite." I answered and began walking back to Snowdin.

"I know a shortcut we can use." The shirt skeleton remarked as he took my hand and guided me in the other direction, into the black cavern.

I was mystified when we appeared in the restaurant, seeing as we were just walking in the opposite direction. It didn't seem like anywhere in the place led to the cavern.

' _ **Don't get too weirded out. We don't need you to have an aneurism or something.'**_

' _Believe me, I'm trying my best not to.'_

Sans greeted the various patrons of Grillby's before we took our seats at the bar. Then, an astonishing sight same up. I assumed he was attempting to speak, but the only sounds he made were the sounds of his flames crackling. It looked as if fire itself was wearing clothes, and even glasses. It was, oddly enough, holding what looked like a notepad.

"Hey, Grilbz. How about a double order of fries?" Sans asked the flame. Grillby nodded and went into the kitchen.

"So, what do you think about Papyrus?" He asked.

"Well, he's certainly interesting. He's always able to bring a smile, and real oddball...I like him."

"Yeah, my bro is pretty cool. So...I'll just cut right to the chase. Do you know about a talking flower?"

I felt my heart stop from the memory of the evil plant. ' _Does Sans know…?'_

"Papyrus has been talking to one. And it talks to him. Giving him advice, promising him things...stuff like that."

I silently nodded.

"So you know about them? The Echo Flowers in the Waterfall cavern? You just say something to em', and they say it over and over until they hear someone else. I think someone's messing with him. I'm just wanting to know, can you check it out for me?"

"Sure, Sans. What are friends for, right?" I replied.

With that, Grillby came back and set two baskets or fries in the bar.

"Bone Appetit, kid." Sans chuckled before we started eating.


	9. Chapter 9

_So I thought I'd update this, seeing as I've been distracted with other things. Also, I'll be absent for the next week or so, so I won't be able to update or respond to anything. So I'll simply say, thank all of you who'v favorited and followed and reviewed my work. You're what's kept we writing this, and I love you all for it. Anywho, let's start the show. Toby Fox owns Undertale, I own nothing._

I was thankful that Sans was able to get me back to the Sentry in Waterfall, although I still had trouble comprehending his shortcut. But, thankfully, I was able to hold in my confusion and continue on.

' _So, Voice, it only just occurred to me that you never told me what to call you. Do you even have a name?'_

There was only silence. The Voice never really stayed quiet for this long, and it was annoying me. Normally, it would always talk back. Why was it silent now?

' _Don't you dare ignore me! C'mon, Voice, I'm going crazy here.'_

I trudged through the cavern until I heard the sound of metal boots hitting the ground. I ducked down into the tall grass when they started getting closer. I looked up and saw someone in metal armor. Their visor was down, so I couldn't see their face. That didn't stop them from scaring the hell out of me when they looked in my direction. Then I saw a familiar-shaped figure walk up to the armored knight.

"Hello, Undyne." Papyrus greeted.

"Did you capture the human, Papyrus?" The knight asked.

"Well...about that...they sort of...slipped by me."

Even though I couldn't see Undyne's face, I could tell they were furious. They stamped the ground in frustration, then barked an order ar Papyrus.

"Stay in Snowdin and get me if the human returns. I won't be outsmarted by a puny human."

"Yes, Undyne." Papyrus said, sadly marching back to town.

' _Y'know, you can start talking at any time, Voice. Considering I almost had a heart attack, I think I might need you to say something.'_

There was only silence, and it was seriously annoying me. Normally, the Voice didn't miss a beat. Was it ignoring me? ' _FINE! I don't need you anyway.'_

After what felt like hours of trudging through the mud in Waterfall, I was met by, surprisingly, the Monster Kid, excitedly looking around.

"Yo, I think I saw Undyne coming this way. I can't wait to see her fight the human. It's gonna be awesome!"

As if on cue, heavy metal footsteps echoed off the walls of the cavern. I ducked into the tall grass, which was tall enough to hide both me and the kid. My heart nearly stopped when the knight came up, and began marching in the grass we were hidden in. When I heard their armor clank as she quickly grabbed for something in the grass, my heart stopped. Then I saw that they'd picked up the kid. She slowly set him back down and went off past us.

"Wow...Undyne touched me! I'll never wash my face again!" He cheered, "C'mon, let's split up and see if we can find her find the human!"

With that, he sprinted off, tripped, and got back up before going out of sight.

' _ **What a cute kid.'**_

 _Where the hell have you been?!'_

 _ **Wow, attitude much?'**_

' _I nearly died twice!'_

' _ **Well, who's fault is that?'**_

I wasn't going to let the Voice know how glad I was to have it back, mainly because it might develop some sort of inflated ego. Still, I was relieved to know a friendly voice still existed, even if it was inside my head.

' _ **So you've seen Undyne the Undying? How are you alive?'**_

"I didn't exactly meet her, per se. It's more along the lines of I've been hiding from a knight that's really wanting to kill me."

' _ **Just don't die, ok? We both kinda live in this body.'**_

With my conversation with The Voice distracting me, I almost walked off the wooden bridge that stood over the pitch-black abyss. It was easy, seeing as they looked like they were designed to look like boat docks on the Surface. I turned away from the dead end, and was face to visor with the knight I'd been hiding from. I fell onto the ground out of shock, and quickly started to crawl back as a light blue glow resonated from her hands. From the glow came a blue spear, humming with some kind of energy. I felt my heart racing as the knight stepped forward.


	10. Chapter 10

_I know this might be stupid to say, but I'm still overwhelmed by all the views and feedback that I'm getting for this. I never thought people would be so eager to read what I write. For that, everyone, thank you. Toby Fox owns Undertale and it's characters. I only own my OC. Please enjoy._

"Yo, Undyne!" A voice erupted from the darkness. From the tall grass along the wall sprang the monster kid. He skidded along the wooden path and stopped between me and the fierce knight. "I'll help you fight the human!"

There was an awkward silence, only broken when Undyne grabbed him by what I could only assume was the equivalent of his ear and dragged him off.

"Ow, Undyne! You're not gonna tell my parents about this, are ya?"

Seeing the opportunity, I ran out of the dimly lit part of the cavern and made my way down a path I hadn't taken yet. It led to a sort of bridge that stretched out to some kind of cavern in the distance. A faint orange glow glimmered past it, my guess being this "Hot Land" I've seen so many signs for. I started walking, only to be stopped by a familiar voice.

"Hey, wait up!"

I turned around and saw The Monster Kid, running to me looking out of breath.

"H-Hey...so...you're a human, right?"

I nodded, and the kid chuckled.

"Yeah, I kinda figured. That, and Undyne told me. She said 'Stay away from that human…' I...I guess that makes us enemies, right? But...you seem pretty nice. Hey, can you say something really mean, so I can hate you?"

I only stared, somewhat heartbroken by the look on his face. He looked like he regretted everything. I almost gave in and gave him his request, but something, not The Voice, told me not to. I couldn't muster a mean sound. I simply shook my head.

"Fine, I'll do it. Yo, I...I hate your guts….man, I really stink at this. Just...Just go. I'll see if I can slow Undyne down for y-ah!"

He began walking away when he suddenly slipped, on what, I couldn't tell. But The Monster Kid was now hanging off of the edge of the bridge, struggling to worm himself back up.

"H-Hey, help me! Please, I'm slipping!"

I looked and say Undyne marching toward us, looking ready to spear me. I was tempted to run, to let Undyne handle it and run. But I couldn't. I couldn't let The Monster Kid fall. I dove for him and quickly pulled him up to his feet on the bridge. Undyne froze, and The Monster Kid looked as one would expect one to look after a near-death experience. Then his scared eyes narrowed as he stood between me and Undyne.

"I know he's human, but he's my friend. If you want to hurt him, you have to go through me!"

I couldn't see Undyne's face, but I could tell they were at least afraid to hurt a kid based on how they backed away and rushed off.

"You'd better hurry. I don't know if she'll come back. I...I gotta get back to my parents. They gotta be worried sick about me."

The Monster Kid ran off, and I made my way across the bridge.

I came to the large opening that seemed to lead into Hotland when I heard a somewhat faint voice. I looked up and saw a silhouette, formed by the glow of Hot Land. Someone, or something, was turned away. It turned slightly to look at me, and the voice grew louder.

"Seven. Seven human souls. That's how many we need to make King Asgore a god and break down the barrier. We've collected six so far. With your soul, the monsters of The Underground, from Snowdin to New Home, will finally be able to taste freedom. You see it, don't you? You're what stands between everyone and their hopes and dreams. As customary, I shall tell you the story of our plight, like the others who have made it this far."

With a brief pause, the silhouette began shouting.

"You know what? Screw it! Why should I tell the story of our struggle to the very being that's keeping it alive! You're life is a crime, as it stands between everyone's hope of freedom. You hear that? You're life is just a burden, and you'd be of more use dead. So…"

The silhouette jumped down, revealing their identity. They were dressed in impressive-looking armor, but no helmet to protect from any sort of blow to the head. Their hair was pulled back into a sort of orange ponytail. One eye was covered by a black eyepatch, the other was a bright yellow, like the high flames of a bonfire.

"I, Undyne the Undying, heroine of The Underground and Captain of the Royal Guard, claim your soul for King Asgore!"

With that, Undyne summoned a spear and charged.


	11. Chapter 11

_And I'm back! Sorry if it's been a little while. I just finished my other story, so I won't have much more than usual to distract me from this one. If you wanna check out my other story, go on ahead. But, if you couldn't care less and just want me to get on with this story, here we go! Toby Fox owns Undertale and it's characters. I own nothing but my OC._

"Why! Won't! You! Die!?" Undyne shouted with every thrust and swing of her spear. All were dangerously close to hitting me, but I was lucky enough to dodge just about every blow.

"You know what? How about we make this a fair fight? I mean, a heroine can't save the Underground by killing a weak, unarmed human. Take this."

Undyne tossed me a spear, and I caught it. I felt the power vibrate the spear as I held it in a defensive stance. Undyne summoned another and proceeded to charge again. It took a lot of effort to keep the spear steady as I blocked her attacks.

' _ **Julien, you don't have a choice. If you want to make it out of here alive, you have to kill her. Kill Undyne.'**_

' _No! I won't kill anyone. I won't end another life! Not while I still have mine!'_

"Just die already!" Undyne screamed before delivering a hard knee to my gut. I flew back and struggled to breathe from the force of the blow.

"N-No...I won't die...P-Papyrus...Sans...Toriel...I won't…"

' _ **You have to kill her, Julien! Kill her!'**_

"No! I won't take anyone else's life!" I shouted, throwing the spear to the side, "I'm strong enough to live, and strong enough not to kill! I won't fight you, Undyne!"

' _ **Such a dedicated pacifist. Fine! If you're so dedicated to that value, there might be a way. Quickly run past her when she charges at you again, into the cave.'**_

"Undyne, how in Hell did you manage to kill six other humans? Did they die of old age because you couldn't land a hit?"

I could tell my insult got under her skin..scales...whatever, because she let out a scream before charging at me with her spear again. I smirked, ducked around her, and sprinted into the cave. The only light was the dim light from outside the cave, but that was blotted out when Undyne's shadow entered the mouth. Soon, I sprinted by what looked like a neon that read **Welcome to Hotland!** Before coming out into extreme heat. The light of the magma under the bridge of rock glowed bright enough to clearly illuminate everything.

I kept running until I heard the heavy footsteps behind me slow down. I turned and saw Undyne, sweating and gasping for air as she slowed down and fell to the ground before me.

' _ **Given that she's a fish, and we're standing in a giant sauna, it wouldn't surprise me that she's dehydrated.'**_

I looked over and noticed something out of place. Near the edge of the path was a full water cooler, fully stocked with plastic cups that surprisingly weren't affected by the intense heat. Then an idea popped into my head.

' _ **And how do you know she won't kill us?'**_

' _I don't. But it's worth a shot, right?'_

I grabbed a cup and filled it with water. Then, I poured the water into Undyne's armor, making sure it hit more of her than the now blistering armor. Her panting nearly stopped before she got up and gave me a strange look.

"What's with the look? I couldn't just let you burn up out here."

Silently, or as silently as she could, given her condition, Undyne retreated into the cave.

' _Well, that was interesting.'_

' _ **At this point, I'd think you would've gotten used to attempts on your life.'**_


	12. Chapter 12

_Hey, ladies and gentlemen and other. Just I hope you enjoy the new chapter. I'll try to update more frequently. I own nothing aside from my OC. Toby Fox owns the rest._

When I returned to Hotland, the first place I thought to go was the giant building with a sign that read "LAB." I entered the lab, only to have the doors shut behind me and leave me in total darkness. I blindly fumbled around until the lights suddenly flicked on. Next to the lightswitch was a yellow lizard, dressed in a white lab coat and glasses. She seemed to have a bit of an overbite.

"Oh. My God. I didn't expect to see you here so soon!" She screamed, frantically trying to make herself seem more presentable. "I haven't showered! I'm barely dressed! Everything's so messy!"

' _I guess there have to be two sides of the spectrum of weird down here. Eh, at least she's not trying to kill me.'_

"Ummm….Hi, I'm Dr. Alphys. Asgore's Royal Scientist! B-But I'm not one of the 'bad guys.' Actually, ever since you've stepped out of the Ruins I've…" She paused, blushing as her tone got a little quieter, "...been 'observing' your journey through my console. Your fights, your friendships! Everything!"

"So you've been stalking me?" I asked bluntly.

"I-It's not like that! I was originally supposed to stop you...but...watching someone on a screen really makes you root for them. So, I wanna help you! With my knowledge, I can guide you right to Asgore's castle through Hotland, no problem."

"Well, I appreciate the help, Miss Alphys." I thanked, making her blush again.

"W-Well...there might be a tiny issue. A while ago, I created an entertainment robot named Mettaton. Y'know, l-like a robot TV star...anyway, Asgore had me program him with a few new features to make him more useful. Like...ummm...anti-human combat features."

"That probably would've been great to know earlier on, Alphys." I commented.

"Well, once I decided to help you, I knew I-I had to remove those features...and…"

"Let me guess. He became an unstoppable killing machine with a thirst for human blood?" I asked.

"P-Pretty much." Alphys agreed nervously. "But, we probably won't run into him."

On cue, a loud metal clang rang out through the lab. Alphys pretended not to notice, until it grew louder and louder.

"Oh no…" Alphys muttered.

We both screamed when the lights cut out with a loud bang. When they cut back on, a robot stood between me and the scientist. The bot was rectangular, with two arms and a wheel for a leg. What I suppose would count as the robot's face was a panel of lights that alternated between yellow and red.

"Oh yes! Welcome, beauties, to today's quiz show!"

' _ **Mettaton...well, you're screwed, kid.'**_

' _Wow, what great moral support. What would I ever do without you?'_

"Let's hear it for our lovely contestant! Never played before gorgeous. Well, the rules are simple! Answer correctly...or you die!"

"Let's start with an easy one! What do you get for answering correctly?" Mettaton asked.

"More questions?" I answered, flinching slightly.

"Correct! Next question! What is the king's full name?"

"Asgore Dreemurr?" I answered, as it was the only option that sounded like a name.

"Correct again! You are on fire! Next question!"

On Mettaton's panel was come ridiculously long word problem. I turned to Alphys, who kept forming what looked like a letter D with her claws.

"D!" I answered.

"Correct! Next Question! Identify this monster!"

On Mettaton's panel was a picture of half of a Froggit.

"That's a Froggit!"

"Wrong!" Mettaton screamed, and I felt an intense electric shock rattle through my skin. The picture zoomed out, and revealed the picture to be of Mettaton, wearing a T-shirt with Froggit's face on it.

"Next question is about the little reptile who's been helping you cheat! Who does Alphys have a crush on?"

I saw Alphys suddenly get flustered when the options came.

 **Undyne**

 **Asgore**

 **The Human**

 **I don't know**

' _I'd honestly prefer to die if this part is right,'_

"The human?"

Mettaton simply laughed.

"I'm afraid not, but I could see how you'd get that. I mean, what is love other than stalking someone through The entirety of the Underground? Anyway, with the brilliant doctor assisting you, there;s no dramatic tension. But, don't worry, beauties. This is just the pilot episode! More Drama. More Romance. More Bloodshed. All coming to you soon!"

When Mettaton left, Alphys was still trying to hide her face.

"Well, that was certainly something."


	13. Chapter 13

_So this is a brief announcement. The reason this chapter is long is because I'll be on hiatus for the next few months, as all my writing is done at school. I can easily check favorites and stuff, but I can't post any new chapters for a while. Anyway, enjoy the chapter. Everything other than my OC is owned by the fantastic Mister Toby Fox_

Alphys was certainly an odd character, but possibly the nicest I've met so far. For one, she didn't try to kill me on sight. Second, she upgraded the old cellphone Toriel gave me in The Ruins, as well as signing me up to The Underground's big social network, The Undernet. Of course, the constant pinging that rang out every time she posted something almost made me throw the damn thing into the magma that glowed below.

' _ **You know, I'm pretty sure there's a mute function on that phone.'**_

' _Well, what if she, or anyone else, calls?'_

' _ **You're still strung up on Toriel, aren't you?'**_

' _She was crying when I left.'_

' _ **She'll be fine. Toriel might act like a fragile old woman, but she's as tough as they come.'**_

' _Believe me, I know. That's not gonna change anything, though. I still feel horrible about leaving her. She treated me like her own son, and I just left…'_

' _ **Hey, you remember back in Waterfall, when you asked me what you should call me?'**_

' _I thought you weren't listening.'_

' _ **Well, I was. Call me whatever you want.'**_

' _How about Vox? I mean, it kinda fits, with you being a voice in my head.'_

' _ **Vox...yeah, I could get used to that. Nice and distinguished.'**_

Vox was chuckling and reciting his name when something strange occurred. The stone ground became a tiled floor. The heat from the magma seemed to cool, and the glow faded to almost complete darkness.

I jumped when I heard my phone ring. I checked the screen and put the call on speaker phone.

"What's up, Alphys?" I asked,trying to adjust my eyes to the lack of light.

"It's too dark in there for me to see with the cameras. Just gimme a sec to cut the lights on."

On cue, the room filled with light from what I could make out as stage lights. The place was a kitchen, like one you'd see in a cooking show. The surveillance camera was barely visible under the bright spotlights, but there was a TV camera mounted on a tripod.

"Oh no." Alphys said, almost in unison with Vox.

"Ohhh yes!" An all-too-familiar voice rang out. The lights cut out, and a spotlight shined down on none other than Mettaton, who rolled out to the counter wearing a chef hat.

"Welcome, beauties and gentle-beauties, to Cooking With Mettaton!"

Even though there wasn't an audience, cheering and applause echoed throughout the set. When it died down, Mettaton gestured to me with a dramatic flair.

"My lovely guest and I are going to prepare a cake for you all! Let's start with the basic ingredients, darling. Milk, sugar, flour, and eggs! Hurry along, now."

To avoid another near-death experience at the hands of a flamboyant cooking show robot, I did as he said. I retrieved the ingredients and placed them on the counter.

"Splendid. Now, for the special secret ingredient that'll make this cake the best." Mettaton cheered, pulling a chainsaw from under the counter and turning to me. "A human soul!"

I backed away as the robot got closer, preparing to cut my soul out of me. Just before he brought it down, Alphys's voice cried from my phone.

"W-Wait! Can't you use some kind of substitute?" The doctor asked.

"And why, dear Alphys, would I do that?"

"W-what if someone's...Vegan?"

"Vegan?" Mettaton and I both questioned in unison.

' _ **While Mettaton is a lot of things, stupid isn't one of them. Cake, in itself, isn't Vegan. What difference would a soul make?'**_

"What a splendid idea? You really are brilliant, Doctor Alphys!"

' _ **I stand corrected.'**_

Mettaton pointed over to a distant counter with a can on top of it.

"Just get that can of MTT-Brand Authentic Human Soul substitute over there!"

I went to get the can, and the counter rocketed up. The counter was atop a stack of counters that nearly reached the roof of the cavern.

"I'd hurry up with that can, if I were you. If you don't get me the can in the next sixty seconds, we're going back to the original plan." Mettaton announced.

"Don't worry. I can trigger a feature in your phone that'll help you out." Alphys assured over the speaker.

Sure enough, the phone expended, and turned into what looked like a jetpack. I strapped it on, and felt myself rocket up along the counter. With the adrenaline pumping through my veins, I didn't even realize the time it took to get to the the top. When I grabbed the can, I saw Mettaton, hovering by the counter top.

"Good job! But, just so you know, that was completely unnecessary. Haven't you ever seen a cooking show? We already made the cake."

' _I wanna punch him.'_

' _ **No. Bad Julien.'**_

After a near-eternity of climbing down the counter tower and hearing Alphys repeatedly apologize for forgetting to stock enough fuel, I made my way around the upper tiers of Hotland. The entire time, Alphys was explaining an anime to me, called Tokyo Kissy Cutie...at least, I thought that was the name. Her rambling was so fast and jumbled that I couldn't make out the title. Still, there was a sort of cuteness to it, how enthusiastically she was describing it.

"S-So...would you be interested in watching it with me?"

"Maybe some day, Alphys. Seeing as I'm hated by The Underground and everyone kinda wants me dead, it wouldn't be safe. Maybe, if this barrier I've heard so much about breaks down, we can watch it together."

I could hear Alphys giggling on the other end of the line. "Great. Hey, I'll call later. I've got some stuff to take care of. Y-You'll live without my help for a bit, right?"

"Sure, Alphys. Take all the time you have to. I can handle myself for a bit."

As soon as Alphys hung up, my phone rang again. I didn't even bother to check who it was before putting it on speaker.

"Human?! This is your friend, The Great Papyrus! Could you come back to Snowdin? Undyne said she needs something from you. I don't know what, but I'd hurry! She's not the type you'd want to keep waiting."

' _Why do I feel like this is gonna end horribly?'_

' _ **Because you know how the story ends?'**_

' _Maybe.'_


	14. Chapter 14

**I know that it's been forever since i published an update. I've been busy with work, school, and other problems i dare not name since the last chapter. But let's not focus on that now. After nearly half a year, here's the newest chapter of Same, but different. Everything but my original character belongs to Toby Fox. Review and enjoy.**

When I got back to Snowdin, I regretted taking Undyne's tank top. I rushed to Papyrus's house before I could get sick from the cold and quickly felt myself become enveloped in the comforting heat.

"Hey, Kid!"

I jumped at the loud, brash voice, but relaxed once the fact that I was Undyne's friend catch up to me. Sure enough, The Underground's Heroine almost towered behind me. She was still dressed in her attire from our failed cooking lesson, from the jeans to the intimidating scowl.

"Hey, Undyne. Papyrus called and said you needed me." I said, honestly prepared to run in case it was a trap.

Without much explanation, Undyne handed me a sealed envelope.

"Give this to Doctor Alphys. Oh, and Papyrus wanted to talk to you."

"HUMAN!" The skeleton shrieked gleefully before running up to hug me. The sheer force of the near-featherweight monster running at me nearly knocked me to the ground. "It's been forever! How long has it been, human?"

"A few hours, at least, Papyrus." I replied with a smile.

He proceeded to pick me up and snuggle me into his cold, metal armor.

"But it feels like it's been forever! Unfortunately, Sans left before you got here. Said he had some business. But let's look on the bright side: more Spaghetti for us!"

I wriggled from Papyrus's arms and, hesitantly, told him that I had to leave.

"I see. You have to get home and do whatever Undyne needed you to do. But I hope we can hang out again sometime. You really are great company."

"Thank you, Papyrus. Goodb-" I said, stopped when Papyrus grabbed my hand.

"There are no goodbye's on my watch. Only See-You-Laters." Papyrus corrected, warming my heart with his usual ear-to-ear smile. "Stay safe, Human!"

' _ **Still think everyone in The Underground wants you dead?'**_

' _Shut up. Even if they don't, the rest of The Underground does.'_

' _ **I guess that's true. But, I have to ask you something: what are we gonna do against Asgore? He has killed six other humans to break down the barrier. I highly doubt he will think twice about killing you.'**_

' _If he's as benevolent as everyone says he is, than maybe he'll listen to reason.'_

' _ **For some reason, I doubt that. Now, let's get that envelope to Doctor Alphys, shall we?'**_

It was a lengthy trudge through Waterfall when I spotted a strange boat on the river bank. There was a figure in a black cloak, carrying a pole like one would use to pilot a gondola. When I approached him, he spoke, not looking in my direction.

"Ride the ferry to Hotland? Only one gold coin!"

Without another word, I gave the ferryman his coin and climbed aboard. I felt my stomach flip as the boat rose from the water and sped off.

' _ **I vote that we never do that ever again.'**_

' _Agreed.'_

Thanks to the Ferry, I was in Hotland faster than I would be if I walked. Even if I was a tad nauseous, it was still better than walking through the entirety of the Underground again.

I took out the envelope Undyne had given me and knocked on Alphys's door. After a while of waiting, there wasn't an answer.

' _ **Just slide it under the door. With luck, she'll see it and we can move along with getting out of here.'**_

I followed Vox's suggestion and slipped the envelope under the door. Almost instantly, the door opened, with Alphys reading the letter.

' _ **So much for that plan.'**_

Alphys blushed and looked up at me.

"D-Did you write this? I mean, I l-like you and everything. But...I m-mean...what harm could it do?" Alphys stuttered, obviously flustered.

"Alphys, what are you...oh no…" I said before quickly grabbing the letter.

' _Undyne, you forgot to sign it!'_ I screamed mentally.

"Look, Alphys. There's-"

"I'll go get my best clothes!" Alphys stuttered, running back into the lab. When she came back, she was dressed in a black dress with white dots. In all fairness, it did look good on her. I would've told her that, and that there's been a misunderstanding, if she'd given me a chance to speak.

"C'mon. I know the best place for our date."

' _Undyne's probably gonna kill me.'_

' _ **Probably.'**_

Alphys dragged me to Waterfall, and stopped close to the edge of a roaring waterfall, though the small river that led to it was shallow and flowed just slow enough for us to stand in it without being swept away.

"This is one of my favorite spots to look for junk." She cheered, "Usually the best junk ends up here."

We spent quite a bit of time sifting through the water and pulling out anything that caught our eye. It was mostly silent (with the exception of the laughter every time one of us tripped and splashed in the water) until Alphys let out a sigh.

"Something wrong, Alphys?" I asked.

"Don't get mad, but I have something to tell you. You're being so nice to me, so it's only right you should know. I...I actually wanted to date Undyne. D-Don't get me wrong, I'm having a good time, and you're pretty cool. I just...I tried being myself, and I don't like who 'myself' is very much. I'm tired of lying to everyone."

"Believe me, Alphys, I know the feeling. But you _can_ start being someone you like by knocking out that first flaw you see. Simply try to be honest. If you'd like, I can help you. Let's do some simple roleplay. Which of us would you rather have play Undyne?"

"You play Undyne. I-It'd be easier, right?" Alphys asked without any hesitation.

"Alright. Don't expect a five-star performance." I joked before clearing my throat. "Hey, Alphys. You wanted to talk?" I asked, doing my best impersonation of Undyne's voice.

Alphys got flustered and began blushing. "U-Undyne, I just...I really like you. I-I...can I start over?"

I nodded silently, and Alphys took a deep breath. What happened next couldn't have been more awkward.

"Undyne, I am madly in love with you!" She blurted out, just as Undyne came up. I felt myself go bloodless and saw Alphys brighten up with an incredibly flustered crimson. All three of us stood silently, until Undyne looked us over.

"Wait...are you two on...like, a date?"

Before I could even get a word out, Alphys blurted out her response.

"Yes...well, no...w-well...I….: Alphys stuttered, clearly struggling to say anything coherent.

"Technically, yes. There was a misunderstanding, you see. But that's not important. What is important is that Alphys has something to say."

I smiled as Alphys took a deep breath, but cringed as she awkwardly blurted out what I could only imagine to be all the things she's lied about, including her feelings for the Heroine and something about anime that I didn't catch. Luckily, Undyne kneeled down to meet her eyes, which caused her to quickly cut off her rambling.

"Alphys, what you just said...really doesn't matter to me. I like that you're passionate. You never let anything get in the way of your goals!"

' _She can't be talking about the same lizard that literally jumps at the mere mention of her name, right?'_

' _ **Shut up. This is getting good!'**_

"W-Wow, Undyne. I-I wasn't expecting this." Alphys stuttered, blushing.

"I know your self-confidence isn't exactly great, so I've arranged for a friend of mine to help you out."

Undyne lightly knocked on the lid of a trashcan, and I barely fought back a laugh as Papyrus slowly rose from the chrome waste bin, dressed in his special date clothes. He then sprang out and landed perfectly beside Alphys.

"Let's go! Ten laps, hooting about how great we are! Move it!" Papyrus cheered.

Papyrus started chasing Alphys off until their chant about greatness faded out.

"Well, that didn't go quite as planned. But, there's something I gotta know." Undyne asked, "Julien, what she said about anime... it's not true is it?! The giant swords, the fighting robots. Anime is real, right?!"

' _ **Please tell me you're not about to crush her dreams.'**_

' _It'll just crush her later when she finds out.'_

"I'm sorry, Undyne. But anime isn't real." I said, honestly expecting tears or a spear through the chest.

"No...No!" She screamed, sounding more frustrated than angry, "I can feel my heart breaking into pieces!"

I was about to comfort before she suddenly struck a heroic looking stance.

"No! I can survive this! For Alphys! Thanks, kid, for telling me the truth. I'll try to live in this world."

' _ **Well, that went better than I thought.'**_

' _Because I didn't die?'_

' _ **That, and you got those two together. They're honestly made for each other.'**_

' _Yeah, I'd say so. Though, I'm kinda thankful she's not into me. She doesn't need to know about my plan once I get to the surface. None of them do. They don't deserve that.'_


End file.
